u guys! hey! sorry bout the sad tris. yes, she will have a bad day. she always has bad days. anyway, read pleeeeze?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Daja massaged her head. After three hours of debating, yelling, and finally bellowing, Frostpine had convinced the Traders to let up for a few days so he could examine her Lump. Her head ached so fiercely, she went outside to escape the chaos.
Sitting on a fallen log, she took long deep breaths, like Niko had taught all of them.
Wasn't this just like the last time she interacted with Traders? Sometimes, Daja wanted to be with them again, travelling, so badly she wanted to cry. Missing her family was one of the worst parts.
Sounds of splashing water diverted her attention. A tall youth was emptying water into the barrels for Caravan Firestorm's horses. He looked up and grinned, his white teeth bright against his dark skin. Daja blushed as he winked, and gestured with his head to the noisy tent. She smiled.
Just as he was walking over to talk, Frostpine darted out. "Daja! Get back in here and help me out a bit!"
Sighing, Daja waved to the young man and followed her teacher inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Sandry woke up with a horrible chill. Nudging aside Briar, she wrapped two more quilts around her soaking wet dress. With a moan, Briar opened his eyes.
"Ahhh!" he yelped. "Cold!" Rubbing his eyes, he looked at the sun. Two hours? Gee. What a waste of time, he mustve zonked before he even kissed her twice.
Then he returned to the more immediate problem. Sandry was shivering, her creamy skin pale. She sniffed, her lithe body vibrating against his own.
"Sandry?" Briar asked worriedly.
"Hmm?" She sneezed.
He rubbed her freezing arms. "I think you're cold."
"Really."
With that last sarcastic comment, Briar groaned and bundled her up in more blankets. Carrying her down from the attic, he put her to bed with a hot water bottle and some tea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talasi stepped forward. "I propose that our honored mage Frostpine have as much time as he needs to inspect this creation."
Muttering into his beard, Frostpine chuckled. "Suck up," he whispered to Daja. Stifling a giggle, she nodded her consent to the Mimander. Then, unsure, she looked back at her teacher.
Laughing, he pounded her back. "Why are you staring at me? You're old enough to do this yourself, right?"
Grimacing, Daja prepared herself for the awful, long buying process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tris and the others rode home. Dreading every hoofbeat, the windmage was torn: whether to run away now, or ignore those two when they arrived.
Unaware Niko was staring at her, Tris continued with her inner debate. She jumped almost out of the saddle when he did approach her.
"Tris? What's wrong?"
She scowled. "Leave me alone."
Her teacher smoothed his mustache. "Ah, but you're not fooling me. Your hair is sparking."
Raising a hand to her short, wiry hair, she felt prickles of lightning growing there. "And just when you were going to let me grow it out." Tris sighed. "Hey! You told me we were going to be at Lightsbridge for a week! Instead we went for one day!"
Niko sighed. "Yes, Windsblaze was too complacent. I dont trust him, he will continue his experiments with wind magic. When he returns to Shining Circle, I would bet big money he will cause more trouble."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sandry shivered in her sleep. Laying a hand on her forehead, Briar felt her fever rise. Worried out of his mind, he placed more soaked rags on her burning face.
Settling into a ball on the floor, Briar tried to get a few winks before he fed her soup. His eyelids lowered...
And suddenly Sandry sat straight up. "They're here!" she said cheerfully. Blinking, Briar looked out the window and saw their housemates through the window. Standing up, he ran to the door.
"Briar!" Sandry shrieked, loud for a sick girl. "Don't go without me!" She struggled out of her cocoon of sheets and promptly collapsed on the floor.
Groaning, Briar picked her up to her great protests and walked out the door. Rosethorn and Lark stopped in surprise to see him carrying her through the gate to the procession of horses.
"Briar!" Lark exclaimed. "What..?"
He grinned. "See for yourselves." With that, he put the squirming Sandry down. She attempted a few steps, then sank back down on the grass. Concerned, Lark felt her cheek and gasped.
Rosethorn did the same. "Briar, you halfwit, what were you thinking, bringing her out here? She has a fever!"
Waspishly, he replied, "You of all people should know i dont think."
Tris had turned pale. When she had sent the cold rain, she hadn't meant to make Sandry sick. Wasn't it just a small, angry move to dissipate her jealousy? After all, nothing had even happened between her and Briar when she had manipulated the weather.
Guilty, Tris walked over to Sandry to help. She would think about Briar and Sandry later, once she was well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After seven days, Frostpine came to his conclusion. Beaming, he announced, "Daja! Its simple. You drew power from your forge fire, which in turn drew its power from the earth's heat! That's where it came from!"
Sighing with relief, Daja handed the Lump over to the Traders. In exchange, she and Frostpine would get 10 gold majas (ten!) and a horse for Daja. Almost gleeful with freedom, the girl ran out to choose a mount from the Caravan's spares.
Flinging herself into the airy tent, she collided directly with the boy she had seen the week before. Embarassed, she picked herself up and mumbled an apology.
Grinning, he just laughed. "So, you're Daja."
"Well, yes, I am," she replied. "What's your name?"
His teeth flashed against golden tan skin. "Kethan. I take care of the horses."
Frowning, Daja thought. "Aren't you the caravan leader's son?" He nodded. At that moment, a creamy tan mare thrashed as a large pidgeon came and pecked its tail.
Shouting, Kethan jumped up and patted her nose. "Down, girl. I know you dont like those birds." The mare nickered. "Especially that one you call Evil."
Daja stared. "Can you actually understand them? The horses I mean?"
He blushed. "Um. Yeah. I dont know why either."
"Mimanders? Isnt there something...?"
Shrugging, Kethan looked away sadly. "They didn't know what to do with me. So im still here, doing nothing." He paused. "I wanted to learn more, but they told me to just work with horses and animals, mainly hunt creatures."
A light burned suddenly in Daja's head. "Dedicate Huntsheart!"
"Who?"
"This guy who is at Winding Circle! He talks to animals, even can heal them! He trains others who want to learn to doctor animals, but he might want an apprentice..."
Kethan's eyes glowed. "Would you show me the way to Winding Circle?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Daja massaged her head. After three hours of debating, yelling, and finally bellowing, Frostpine had convinced the Traders to let up for a few days so he could examine her Lump. Her head ached so fiercely, she went outside to escape the chaos.
Sitting on a fallen log, she took long deep breaths, like Niko had taught all of them.
Wasn't this just like the last time she interacted with Traders? Sometimes, Daja wanted to be with them again, travelling, so badly she wanted to cry. Missing her family was one of the worst parts.
Sounds of splashing water diverted her attention. A tall youth was emptying water into the barrels for Caravan Firestorm's horses. He looked up and grinned, his white teeth bright against his dark skin. Daja blushed as he winked, and gestured with his head to the noisy tent. She smiled.
Just as he was walking over to talk, Frostpine darted out. "Daja! Get back in here and help me out a bit!"
Sighing, Daja waved to the young man and followed her teacher inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Sandry woke up with a horrible chill. Nudging aside Briar, she wrapped two more quilts around her soaking wet dress. With a moan, Briar opened his eyes.
"Ahhh!" he yelped. "Cold!" Rubbing his eyes, he looked at the sun. Two hours? Gee. What a waste of time, he mustve zonked before he even kissed her twice.
Then he returned to the more immediate problem. Sandry was shivering, her creamy skin pale. She sniffed, her lithe body vibrating against his own.
"Sandry?" Briar asked worriedly.
"Hmm?" She sneezed.
He rubbed her freezing arms. "I think you're cold."
"Really."
With that last sarcastic comment, Briar groaned and bundled her up in more blankets. Carrying her down from the attic, he put her to bed with a hot water bottle and some tea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talasi stepped forward. "I propose that our honored mage Frostpine have as much time as he needs to inspect this creation."
Muttering into his beard, Frostpine chuckled. "Suck up," he whispered to Daja. Stifling a giggle, she nodded her consent to the Mimander. Then, unsure, she looked back at her teacher.
Laughing, he pounded her back. "Why are you staring at me? You're old enough to do this yourself, right?"
Grimacing, Daja prepared herself for the awful, long buying process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tris and the others rode home. Dreading every hoofbeat, the windmage was torn: whether to run away now, or ignore those two when they arrived.
Unaware Niko was staring at her, Tris continued with her inner debate. She jumped almost out of the saddle when he did approach her.
"Tris? What's wrong?"
She scowled. "Leave me alone."
Her teacher smoothed his mustache. "Ah, but you're not fooling me. Your hair is sparking."
Raising a hand to her short, wiry hair, she felt prickles of lightning growing there. "And just when you were going to let me grow it out." Tris sighed. "Hey! You told me we were going to be at Lightsbridge for a week! Instead we went for one day!"
Niko sighed. "Yes, Windsblaze was too complacent. I dont trust him, he will continue his experiments with wind magic. When he returns to Shining Circle, I would bet big money he will cause more trouble."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sandry shivered in her sleep. Laying a hand on her forehead, Briar felt her fever rise. Worried out of his mind, he placed more soaked rags on her burning face.
Settling into a ball on the floor, Briar tried to get a few winks before he fed her soup. His eyelids lowered...
And suddenly Sandry sat straight up. "They're here!" she said cheerfully. Blinking, Briar looked out the window and saw their housemates through the window. Standing up, he ran to the door.
"Briar!" Sandry shrieked, loud for a sick girl. "Don't go without me!" She struggled out of her cocoon of sheets and promptly collapsed on the floor.
Groaning, Briar picked her up to her great protests and walked out the door. Rosethorn and Lark stopped in surprise to see him carrying her through the gate to the procession of horses.
"Briar!" Lark exclaimed. "What..?"
He grinned. "See for yourselves." With that, he put the squirming Sandry down. She attempted a few steps, then sank back down on the grass. Concerned, Lark felt her cheek and gasped.
Rosethorn did the same. "Briar, you halfwit, what were you thinking, bringing her out here? She has a fever!"
Waspishly, he replied, "You of all people should know i dont think."
Tris had turned pale. When she had sent the cold rain, she hadn't meant to make Sandry sick. Wasn't it just a small, angry move to dissipate her jealousy? After all, nothing had even happened between her and Briar when she had manipulated the weather.
Guilty, Tris walked over to Sandry to help. She would think about Briar and Sandry later, once she was well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After seven days, Frostpine came to his conclusion. Beaming, he announced, "Daja! Its simple. You drew power from your forge fire, which in turn drew its power from the earth's heat! That's where it came from!"
Sighing with relief, Daja handed the Lump over to the Traders. In exchange, she and Frostpine would get 10 gold majas (ten!) and a horse for Daja. Almost gleeful with freedom, the girl ran out to choose a mount from the Caravan's spares.
Flinging herself into the airy tent, she collided directly with the boy she had seen the week before. Embarassed, she picked herself up and mumbled an apology.
Grinning, he just laughed. "So, you're Daja."
"Well, yes, I am," she replied. "What's your name?"
His teeth flashed against golden tan skin. "Kethan. I take care of the horses."
Frowning, Daja thought. "Aren't you the caravan leader's son?" He nodded. At that moment, a creamy tan mare thrashed as a large pidgeon came and pecked its tail.
Shouting, Kethan jumped up and patted her nose. "Down, girl. I know you dont like those birds." The mare nickered. "Especially that one you call Evil."
Daja stared. "Can you actually understand them? The horses I mean?"
He blushed. "Um. Yeah. I dont know why either."
"Mimanders? Isnt there something...?"
Shrugging, Kethan looked away sadly. "They didn't know what to do with me. So im still here, doing nothing." He paused. "I wanted to learn more, but they told me to just work with horses and animals, mainly hunt creatures."
A light burned suddenly in Daja's head. "Dedicate Huntsheart!"
"Who?"
"This guy who is at Winding Circle! He talks to animals, even can heal them! He trains others who want to learn to doctor animals, but he might want an apprentice..."
Kethan's eyes glowed. "Would you show me the way to Winding Circle?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~